OpenAI has announced on social media X that ChatGPT users can now browse the internet to access up-to-date information. The feature called 'Browse with Bing' is available to 'Plus' and 'Enterprise' paid users. OpenAI plans to make it available to all other users later. The browsing feature will also allow websites to control how ChatGPT can interact with them. Previously, the generative AI (GenAI) model was trained using data up to September 2021. The new update will allow ChatGPT to move beyond the cutoff date to provide current information available on the Web.

Why does it matter?

With the ability to browse the Web, ChatGPT can now provide the latest information available on the internet, access a wider range of information, authoritative sources, and links to images and videos, and deliver more accurate and relevant responses to user queries.
By integrating browsing capabilities, Microsoft-backed OpenAI is enhancing ChatGPT's capabilities. The popular chatbot can now perform a wider range of tasks, such as booking flights, making reservations, or ordering products online.

The startup announced a major upgrade earlier this week, boosting ChatGPT interactivity through voice conversations and images and moving it closer to popular AI assistants like Amazon's Alexa and Apple's Siri. ChatGPT and other similar systems will now compete with search engines and news media websites for current questions and inquiries. These developments come as OpenAI and other GenAI chatbots are facing multiple lawsuits in US federal courts from prominent authors and reputable media alleging copyright infringements.